STATUS: 

• Foster applications: Open with an urgent need for primary handlers/fosters.
• Service dog applications: Open for eligible children, veterans, and organizations seeking facility dogs.
• Fabulous Flunky/adoption applications: Waitlist is currently closed.

SERVICE AREA: All 50 U.S. states and Canada for service-dog placements. Foster/volunteer trainers & Veteran applicants must be located within a 3-hour radius of their offices in Xenia, OH.

CLIENTS SERVED: Primarily serves children with disabilities and military veterans with disabilities. New adult applicants who are not veterans are referred to other qualified organizations. Also accepts applications from organizations that would benefit from a task-trained facility dog.

DESCRIPTION
4 Paws for Ability breeds, raises, trains, and places individually task-trained service dogs. The organization develops each dog’s training around the specific needs of its recipient and provides ongoing support to its service-dog families.

PROGRAMS/SERVICES

• Service Dogs: Individually trained to perform disability-related tasks including mobility assistance, seizure alert/response, autism assistance, behavior disruption, retrieval, and other specialized tasks.
• Facility Dogs: Task-trained dogs placed with organizations that would benefit from their skills, including organizations serving people with disabilities.
• Hearing Ear Dogs: Trained to assist people with hearing impairments by alerting them to important sounds.
• Volunteer/Foster Program: Volunteers can foster and train service dogs in their homes, helping with manners, socialization, public-access skills, and basic training. 4 Paws provides veterinary care, basic supplies, and dog food.
• Weekend/Weeknight Handler Program: Provides opportunities to care for and train service dogs in training during evenings and/or weekends.
• Guardian Home Program: Provides permanent homes for 4 Paws breeding dogs while they are active in the breeding program. Guardian families provide daily care and transportation for veterinary, breeding, and other scheduled appointments. After retirement, dogs are spayed/neutered and remain with their guardian families. Guardian homes must live within 3 hours of Xenia, Ohio.
• Fabulous Flunky Adoption Program: Dogs that do not complete service-dog training may become available for adoption as “Fabulous Flunkies” but the current application waitlist is closed.
• Fundraising for Service Dogs: The cost to breed, raise, train, and place a service dog is approximately $40,000. Clients generally commit to raising a $20,000 fee for service through fundraising, while 4 Paws raises funds to cover the remaining cost. Certain breeds may have an additional fee.

HOW TO APPLY

• Service dog applicants: Complete an online application for either a child, veteran, or facility. The process includes the primary application, medical/health information, a mental health form (when applicable), and reference letters. After the application is submitted and supporting documentation is received, a virtual interview is scheduled. A $50 non-refundable application processing fee is required.
• Foster/Volunteer Trainer applicants: Complete the online Volunteer Interest Form. Applicants should receive an email invitation within 24 hours to an information session. Foster applicants must be at least 18, live within 3 hours of the offices in Xenia OH, have reliable transportation, complete online training, and attend an in-person training/orientation. Applicants must be prepared to begin fostering within two weeks of training if a dog is available.
• Guardian Home applicants: Complete the Volunteer Interest Form to be connected with the volunteer team. Guardian homes have additional requirements, including reliable transportation and a $1,000 breeder placement fee when matched with a breeder dog.